Processing rules for digital messages

• US 8,176,130 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2008
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Daniell, William Todd
• Primary Examiner(s): Dalencourt, Yves
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lai, Michael C
• Application Number:
  US12/051,633
• Publication Number:
  US 20080168149A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,511 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/207
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users

Abstract

Systems and methods for handling email messages are described. Some embodiments are directed to determining whether an email message meets a predefined condition, and executing an action in an instant messaging (IM) system in response to determining that the email message meets the predefined condition. Other embodiments are directed to providing a programming interface, and storing inputs provided by a user at the programming interface. For those embodiments, the programming interface is adapted to receive user input in the form of a markup language. The inputs include a condition and an action. Yet other embodiments are directed to determining whether a digital message meets a predefined condition, and executing a filtering algorithm on the digital message in response to determining that the digital message does not meet the predefined condition. The digital message may be, for example, an email message or an IM message.

Claims

1. A method for handling digital messages, the method comprising:

providing a programming interface, the programming interface adapted to receive user input, the user input being provided in a markup language, wherein the programming interface comprises a text editor allowing a user to freely type a rule for handling digital messages in which conditions, actions, and exceptions may be programmed directly by the user by typing the rule with the text editor, wherein the rule typed by the user is not previously defined and not previously available to be selected within the programming interface;

storing inputs provided by the user at the programming interface, the inputs being provided in the markup language, the inputs comprising a condition, the inputs further comprising an action, wherein the inputs comprise rules for handling digital messages including a rule for answering a request for a file;

receiving a digital message from a message sender in a first messaging protocol;

determining whether the digital message includes a request for a file in accordance with the rule for answering a request for a file;

in response to determining that the digital message includes the request for the file, determining whether a file name is associated with the request for the file in accordance with the rule for answering a request for a file; and

in response to determining that a file name is associated with the request for the file;

extracting a file name;

searching at least one local storage device for a file having the extracted file name;

in response to locating the file, determining whether the file is accessible;

in response to determining that the file is accessible, retrieving the requested file;

in response to retrieving the file, transmitting the requested file to the message sender in a second messaging protocol when the sender is determined to be actively present on a communications network utilizing the second messaging protocol; and

transmitting the file in the first messaging protocol to the message sender in response to retrieving the file when the message sender is determined to not be actively present on the communications network utilizing the second messaging protocol,

wherein the rules authored using the programming interface are applied to both incoming messages in the first messaging protocol and incoming messages in the second messaging protocol.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first messaging protocol comprises an email protocol.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second messaging protocol comprises an instant messaging protocol.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

retrieving an instant messaging address for the message sender from a list of contacts that contains an email messaging address for the message sender.

5. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores a program that, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform at least the following:

provide a programming interface, the programming interface adapted to receive user input, the user input being provided in a markup language, wherein the programming interface comprises a text editor allowing a user to freely type a rule for handling digital messages in which conditions, actions, and exceptions may be programmed directly by the user by typing the rule with the text editor, wherein the rule typed by the user is not previously defined and not previously available to be selected within the programming interface;

store a rule for handling digital messages, the rule comprising a condition in the markup language and an action in a markup language;

receive a digital message from a message sender in a first messaging protocol;

determine whether the digital message meets the condition in accordance with the rule for answering a request for a file; and

in response to determining that the digital message includes the request for the file, determine whether a file name is associated with the request for the file in accordance with the rule; and

in response to determining that a file name is associated with the request for the file;

extract a file name;

search at least one local storage device for a file having the extracted file name;

in response to locating the file, determine whether the file is accessible;

in response to determining that the file is accessible, retrieve the requested file;

in response to retrieving the file, transmit the requested file to the message sender in a second messaging protocol when the message sender is determined to be actively present on a communications network utilizing the second messaging protocol; and

transmit the file in the first messaging protocol to the message sender in response to retrieving the file when the message sender is determined to not be actively present on the communications network utilizing the second messaging protocol,

wherein the rules authored using the programming interface are applied to both incoming messages in the first messaging protocol and incoming messages in the second messaging protocol.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 5 wherein the first messaging protocol comprises an email protocol.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 5 wherein the second messaging protocol comprises an instant messaging protocol.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, the program further causing the computer to perform:

retrieve an instant messaging address for the message sender from a list of contacts that contains an email messaging address for the message sender.

9. A system for handling digital messages, the system comprising:

a memory component that stores at least the following;

program-interface logic configured to provide a programming interface, the programming interface adapted to receive user input, the user input being provided in a markup language, wherein the programming interface comprises a text editor allowing a user to freely type a rule for handling digital messages in which conditions, actions, and exceptions may be programmed directly by the user by typing the rule with the text editor, wherein the rule typed by the user is not previously defined and not previously available to be selected within the programming interface;

input-storage logic configured to store inputs provided by the user at the programming interface, the inputs being provided in the markup language, the inputs comprising a condition, the inputs further comprising an action, wherein the inputs comprise rules for handling digital messages including a rule for answering a request for a file;

receiving logic configured to receive a digital message from a message sender in a first messaging protocol;

determining logic configured to determine whether the digital message includes a request for a file in accordance with the rule for answering a request for a file;

determining logic configured to, in response to determining that the digital message includes the request for the file, determining whether a file name is associated with the request for the file in accordance with the rule for answering a request for a file; and

logic configured to, in response to determining that a file name is associated with the request for the file;

extract a file name;

search at least one local storage device for a file having the extracted file name;

determine whether the requested file is accessible;

in response to determining that the requested file is accessible, retrieve the requested file;

in response to retrieving the file, transmit the requested file to the message sender in a second messaging protocol when the message sender is determined to be actively present on a communications network utilizing the second messaging protocol; and

transmit the file in the first messaging protocol to the message sender in response to retrieving the file when the message sender is determined to not be actively present on the communications network utilizing the second messaging protocol,

wherein the rules authored using the programming interface are applied to both incoming messages in the first messaging protocol and incoming messages in the second messaging protocol.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the first messaging protocol comprises an email protocol.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the second messaging protocol comprises an instant messaging protocol.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

logic configured to retrieve an instant messaging address for the message sender from a list of contacts that contains an email messaging address for the message sender.